Company 1972 - Articles Page 20

Chicago Dramatists, known for producing innovative and award-winning new work, is proud to announce its 34th season featuring three world premiere productions by its Resident Playwrights. Chicago Dramatists continues to nurture the city's most promising playwrights and to push the envelope with the newest plays, helping to advance Chicago's reputation as a leader in American theatre new play development. The season begins with Freshly Fallen Snow, September 20 - October 28, by Resident Playwright M.E.H. Lewis and directed by Associate Artistic Director Meghan Beals McCarthy. The first show of 2013 is Southbridge, January 24 - March 13, by Resident Playwright Reginald Edmund and directed by Artistic Director Russ Tutterow. The Chicago Dramatists' season concludes with Homecoming 1972, May 16 - June 23, by Resident Playwright Robert Koon and directed by Associate Artist Kimberly Senior.

Kevin Kline and Dianne Wiest will perform I take your hand in mine ... the love letters of Anton Chekhov to Olga Knipper, a play by Carol Rocamora, in a staged reading benefiting The Acting Company on Monday, June 25, 7pm at The Kaye Playhouse, East 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues. Tickets at brownpapertickets.com or 1-800-838-3006. Benefit tickets, including cast dinner, from 212-258-3111.

Chairman of the Board of Directors Michael Marquardt announced today that Bud Martin has been appointed Executive Director of the Delaware Theatre Company (DTC). "We're extremely excited about Bud joining the organization and look forward to working with him and the staff on an exciting 34th season. Bud has an impressive track record in both artistic and business leadership and has deep connections in the theatre community throughout the United States as well as internationally. We could not be more pleased that the Delaware Theatre Company will be his new artistic home, "said Mr. Marquardt.

On Thursday, May 17 Cake Productions, one of the most cutting-edge-aware theatre companies in the country, will present the New York Premiere of Tiffany Antone's prophetic wake-up call, "IN THE COMPANY OF JANE DOE," a new play about a woman who gets herself cloned then wants a Do-Over. There are men in the play. One of them causes all the trouble.

Chicago Dramatists, known for producing innovative and award-winning new work, is proud to announce its 34th season featuring three world premiere productions by its Resident Playwrights. Chicago Dramatists continues to nurture the city's most promising playwrights and to push the envelope with the newest plays, helping to advance Chicago's reputation as a leader in American theatre new play development. The season begins with Freshly Fallen Snow, September 20 - October 28, by Resident Playwright M.E.H. Lewis and directed by Associate Artistic Director Meghan Beals McCarthy. The first show of 2013 is Southbridge, January 24 - March 13, by Resident Playwright Reginald Edmund and directed by Artistic Director Russ Tutterow. The Chicago Dramatists' season concludes with Homecoming 1972, May 16 - June 23, by Resident Playwright Robert Koon and directed by Associate Artist Kimberly Senior.

Bernadette Peters surprised Broadway legend Joel Grey on his 80th birthday with a cake backstage at 'Anything Goes' at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York City yesterday, April 11, 2012. BroadwayWorld was on hand for the celebration and brings you complete photo coverage below!

The Acting Company and the Guthrie Theater are bringing their national touring production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar to New York for a limited two-week run, April 9-22, at the Baruch Performing Arts Center. Rob Melrose, Artistic Director of San Francisco's Cutting Ball Theater has directed what is considered one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies. Michael Sexton, Artistic Director of The Shakespeare Society will host a talkback following the April 17th performance. Tickets for all performances are available from 866-811-4111 or www.theatermania.com.

The 1972 Bob Fosse dance spectacle and play-within-a-play "Pippin" (which produced a legendary Motown Records cast album, no less) opened in Lakeview this past October, courtesy of the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. And now we have a "Pippin" for the north lakeshore, as The Music Theatre Company of Highland Park has mounted an enjoyable revival of its own, opening last weekend and running through May 6, 2012.Stephen Schwartz, one of the most popular Broadway composer-lyricists of the last 40 years, is riding high these days, with the continued mega-success of "Wicked," a late-career surprise for a guy who made his first big impact when he was just out of college in the very early 1970s. There's a revival of his "Godspell" playing on Broadway right now, directly adjacent to where "Wicked" is still selling out after 8 years, and two rival revivals of "Pippin" have been vying for Main Stem viability in recent months. Here in Chicago, we had a re-working of "Working" last spring, in a major production at the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, and a Schwartz career retrospective revue called "Snapshots" premiered at the Northlight Theatre in Skokie last fall. Schwartz himself was in town for both productions, rumored to be in love with our Chicago acting scene. The 1972 Bob Fosse dance spectacle and play-within-a-play "Pippin" (which produced a legendary Motown Records cast album, no less) opened in Lakeview this past October, courtesy of the Bohemian Theatre Ensemble. And now we have a "Pippin" for the north lakeshore, as The Music Theatre Company of Highland Park has mounted an enjoyable revival of its own, opening last weekend and running through May 6, 2012. Directed and choreographed by the company's founder and artistic director, Jessica Redish (how many hats IS that?), and music-directed by her "Merrily We Roll Along" partner, Ian Weinberger (their production of that problematic Stephen Sondheim show was very well received last year), this production utilizes Equity leads and a non-Equity ensemble, to interesting advantage. Many of the dance sequences look great, especially the opening number, "Magic To Do," the "Glory" sequence, the thrilling "Morning Glow" and several opportunities where Fosse trios are utilized (a lead dancer in front, flanked by a supporting dancer on each side). The women of the ensemble (Sasha Kostyrko, Kristin O'Connell, Emily Rogers and Lucy Zukaitis) are especially sexy, and the men (Brian M. Duncan, Tommy Rivera-Vega and Jeremy Sonkin) dance their socks off and carry out their small acting bits with verve. And the leading characters are played by actors with formidable singing chops, made all the more impressive by the fact that the cast is entirely unamplified. Leading Player Joey Stone has an extremely impressive, beautiful and flexible R&B voice, all runs and trills and idiomatic inflections that are very satisfying throughout (he's worked all over town since landing here five years ago, and it's easy to hear why). His stage presence is unmistakable, and you need to hear him sing these songs. You really do. The titular hero of the piece is embodied by the elfin, vaguely quirky-looking Andrew Keltz, who looks to be about 15 until you spy a little chest hair poking its way out of his shirt collar. His is not the most resonant vocal instrument, but he sounds entirely conversation and convincing every time he sings, and he too works all over the place. And he is not a conventional juvenile lead, but he plays them constantly, gifted with the innate ability to convey a searching, restless contemporary spirit, adrift in a society he doesn't understand. James Rank is the Charlemagne here, enacting all the hoary bluster and inner struggle of a man who is admittedly not a brain type of guy. His singing is a combination of exemplary Gilbert and Sullivan patter and baritonal bravado. However, he is saddled with the thankless number, "Welcome Home," which seems to always drag down the action with tons of exposition and not enough flash, so that all "Pippin" productions struggle in the early going. Thankfully, his prayer scene was remarkably nuanced. The veteran Peggy Roeder, playing Berthe until April 13 (she will be replaced by Cindy Gold, faculty member at Northwestern University and recently in "Show Boat" at Lyric Opera of Chicago), is hilarious and sings like the character actress she is, every note and word perfectly produced. And Angie Stemberg (Fastrada) and Jess Godwin (Catherine) are providing a school for contemporary musical theater singing in this production, with personalized stylings couched within perfectly placed belt techiques. If Zach Zube is not the ideal physical type for the character of Lewis, he nonetheless brings energy, focus and excitement to the role. However, young Theo is here portrayed by the pleasant commitment of young Isabelle Roberts, in a fascinating bit of pre-pubescent gender-bent casting. The orchestra of five, conducted by Weinberger and playing his orchestral reduction of the score, plays as softly as one could imagine a pop-rock score could be played, to their credit and the credit of sound designer Christopher Kriz. In addition to the songs I've already mentioned, I loved "On the Right Track," for its perfect blend of choreography, acting moments, use of the playing space and the singing of the two male leads, the lovely and still "Love Song" by Keltz and Godwin, and, especially, Roeder and Company's delivery of "No Time At All," complete with audience sing-along and hitting all the right showbiz mastery this number requires. Can I discuss the ending of the show for a bit? I know this show's coup de theatre ending is supposed to be a secret surprise, but it's over 40 years old, and fairly well known to the readers of BroadwayWorld. So, here I go. When the Leading Player proposed to Pippin that he should end his life in a glorious blazing bonfire and Pippin refuses, prompting the Leading Player to order the removal of all "theatrical" elements (lights, costumes, music) from Pippin and Catherine, I'm never quite sure that it ever truly works. First of all, is Pippin the character rebelling, or is the unnamed actor playing him in the Leading Player's troupe rebelling? And why does the L.P. get so upset? This is not set up very well by bookwriter Roger O. Hirson (was it Fosse's idea?), nor is it really explained--this oversized, childish reaction to an actor (or character) refusing to follow the script. If you don't know it's coming, it's shocking and unique and interesting. But once you think about it, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense. It makes a point, but it isn't as perfect an ending as I wish it were. Oh, well. Small quibble. That being said, this particular production handles it pretty well. The lights and flashiness of the show do indeed reach their peak just before the unforeseen turn of events, and the final image of Pippin, Catherine and Theo in their underwear does carry the meaning it is intended to convey. Actually, the lighting for this show (by Charles Cooper) is one of its best aspects. The lights change constantly, directing the eye and conveying the mood and creating the time and place. I was extremely impressed. I don't think the workable scenic design (Stephen M. Carmody), properties design (Nick Heggestad) or costume design (Jessica Snyder) of this production would come off near as well, were the lighting not so perfect. So, kudos to Reddish and TMTC for a fun, meaningful and stylistically appropriate "Pippin," with moments of real creativity. The level of vocal excellence here is not always heard in other small, intimate theaters, and speaks to the priorities of this still-young company. If you love that legendary cast album, you'll enjoy this production, even with a small orchestra. And the show's theme of staying true to oneself, while looking for love and finding joy and meaning in the simple things of life, is a timeless one, well worth revisiting. Applause for the company of "Pippin!" The Music Theatre Company's production of "Pippin," by Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hirson, plays March 22-May 6, 2012 at the Karger Center, 1850 Green Bay Road in Highland Park, directed and choreographed by Founding Artistic Director Jessica Reddish. Tickets are available by calling 847.579.4900 or by visiting www.themusictheatrecompany.org. PHOTOS: (top) Andrew Keltz as Pippin with (L to R) Emily Rogers, Lucy Zukaitis and Sasha Kostyrko in "Pippin" at The Music Theatre Company; (bottom) Joey Stone as the Leading Player with cast members of "Pippin" at The Music Theatre Company PHOTO CREDIT: www.jonathansportraits.com

Patti LuPone will be celebrated in an all-star evening of song and memories on Monday, March 12. The Acting Company will salute a founding member and board director with the help of two other founding members, Kevin Kline and David Schramm, joined by Kristin Chenoweth, Sutton Foster, Harvey Fierstein, Zoe Caldwell, Laura Benanti, Boyd Gaines, Michael Urie, Melissa Errico, Howard McGillin, Steven Pasquale, Anthony Dean Griffey, Manoel Feliciano, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. Tickets range from $75 to $175 from http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/226559 or at The Kaye Playhouse Box Office 212-772-4448. Benefit tickets, which include dinner with Patti LuPone and the cast, are available from 212-258-3111.

The Storm Theatre Company, under the Artistic Direction of Peter Dobbins, announces its first production of 2012- the New York and North American premiere of THE LONDON MERCHANT by George Lillo which will be presented in performance, January 6th through January 28th.

Big Noise Theatre Company presents its second production of the 10th anniversary season, Butterflies are Free, written by Leonard Gershe.

The Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey today announced its 2012 season - the 50th Anniversary season of the state's largest professional theatre dedicated to Shakespeare and other world classics, and the longest running Shakespeare Theatre on the East Coast. Founded in 1963 in Cape May by Paul Barry and Philip Dorian as the New Jersey Shakespeare Festival, the company was invited to take up residence at Drew University in 1972. 2012 also marks the 40th Anniversary of the Theatre's residency in Madison.

After nearly 100 productions of the play around the world, including two by the Royal Court Theatre in London, Soho Rep and The Play Company, in association with John Adrian Selzer, will present the New York premiere February 1-26, 2012.

The Storm Theatre Company, under the Artistic Direction of Peter Dobbins, announces its first production of 2012- the New York and North American premiere of THE LONDON MERCHANT by George Lillo which will be presented in performance, January 6th through January 28th.

The Storm Theatre Company, under the Artistic Direction of Peter Dobbins, announces its first production of 2012- the New York and North American premiere of THE LONDON MERCHANT by George Lillo which will be presented in performance, January 6th through January 28th.

New York's renowned Children's Acting Academy & Company will present its new stage production, FAME - THE MUSICAL at The Theatre at Saint Peters, 619 Lexington Avenue (54th Street, just east of Lexington), starting tonight (Thursday, December 8) for six performances through Sunday, December 11, 2011. To reach the theater, enter through the glass door and take the elevator to "LL2 Theater."

New York's renowned Children's Acting Academy & Company will present its new stage production, FAME - THE MUSICAL at The Theatre at Saint Peters, 619 Lexington Avenue (54th Street, just east of Lexington), starting tonight (Thursday, December 8) for six performances through Sunday, December 11, 2011. To reach the theater, enter through the glass door and take the elevator to "LL2 Theater."

At The Acting Company's Masquerade Gala on November 14 at Capitale, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Joseph Benincasa, Chairman and President respectively of The Actors Fund, will accept the Joan Warburg Humanitarian Award honoring the Fund's extraordinary legacy of providing health and human services to the entertainment community since 1882. James Bundy, Dean of Yale School of Drama and Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre, will receive the John Houseman Award recognizing his profound commitment to the development of classical actors and a national audience for the theater. David Hyde Pierce and Charles S. Dutton will present the awards; the Godspell cast will entertain and Acting Company Alumnus Hamish Linklater (Seminar) emcees the evening for an industry-filled audience of producers, directors, entertainers and other notables including The Honorable Thomas Kean, legendary record producer Clive Davis, New York Times writer Enid Nemy and The Broadway League's Charlotte St. Martin. For ticket Information call: 212-258-3111 .

Big Noise Theatre Company is seeking actors for its second production of their 10th anniversary season, Butterflies are Free, written by Leonard Gershe.

At The Acting Company's Masquerade Gala on November 14 at Capitale, Brian Stokes Mitchell and Joseph Benincasa, Chairman and President respectively of The Actors Fund, will accept the Joan Warburg Humanitarian Award honoring the Fund's extraordinary legacy of providing health and human services to the entertainment community since 1882. James Bundy, Dean of Yale School of Drama and Artistic Director of Yale Repertory Theatre, will receive the John Houseman Award recognizing his profound commitment to the development of classical actors and a national audience for the theater. David Hyde Pierce and Charles S. Dutton will present the awards; the Godspell cast will entertain and Acting Company Alumnus Hamish Linklater (Seminar) emcees the evening for an industry-filled audience of producers, directors, entertainers and other notables including The Honorable Thomas Kean, legendary record producer Clive Davis, New York Times writer Enid Nemy and The Broadway League's Charlotte St. Martin. For ticket Information call: 212-258-3111 .

Big Noise Theatre Company is seeking actors for its second production of their 10th anniversary season, Butterflies are Free, written by Leonard Gershe.

The Acting Company will present a benefit staged reading of Trouble in Paradise on Monday, September 26 at the Mainstage Theater, 416 West 42nd Street, NYC (between 9th/10th Avenues) at 7pm.

Columbia/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, is commemorating forty years of Billy Joel's career as a solo recording artist with a pair of historic releases - a limited edition Billy Joel - The Complete Albums Collection boxed set and a two-disc Legacy Edition of 1973's Piano Man album (exclusively featuring a long-lost fabled radio concert from 1972) - each appealing to aficionados of the iconic American singer-songwriter-performer.

The Acting Company will present a benefit staged reading of Trouble in Paradise on Monday, September 26 at the Mainstage Theater, 416 West 42nd Street, NYC (between 9th/10th Avenues) at 7pm.

Rounder Records has just released the digitally restored, first complete recording of the landmark 1972 musical DOCTOR SELAVY'S MAGIC THEATRE, with music by Stanley Silverman, lyrics by Tom Hendry, and conceived by Richard Foreman. DOCTOR SELAVY is available on CD through Amazon.com, and digitally through iTunes and various outlets. Stage rights to DOCTOR SELAVY are licensed by R&H Theatricals, an Imagem Company.