A Tale of Two Cities - Chicago Articles Page 20

Christian Campbell, the star of Reefer Madness: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM! and Trick, will headline the cast of the New York premiere of Magnetic North, a play by William Donnelly about the perilous space between flirtation and betrayal.

From April 30 to May 23, Yangtze Repertory Theatre of America (www.yangtze-rep-theatre.org) will present 'Laughing in the Wind: A Cautionary Tale in Martial Arts,' based on a novel by Jin Yong, China's most popular writer of the Martial Arts (Wuxia) genre, and arguably the most widely read author in the Chinese speaking world.

American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) presents the world premiere of the musical Johnny Baseball by Richard Dresser, Robert Reale, and Willy Reale, directed by Diane Paulus. The production begins performances on May 16 and runs through June 27, 2010 at the Loeb Drama Center, 64 Brattle Street, Harvard Square, Cambridge.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

San Diego Theatres' presentations for this season at the historic and nationally acclaimed Balboa Theatre close with the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour on April 21 at 7:30PM. Celebrating the upcoming 53rd anniversary of the famous Monterey Jazz Festival, this amazing concert will feature the endlessly creative master pianist Kenny Barron, the daring and swinging violinist Regina Carter, the dangerously hip vocalist Kurt Elling and the soulful guitarist Russell Malone. These four musical greats will come together for a very special concert of exceptional jazz in the intimate and acoustically brilliant Balboa Theatre. One performance only...don't miss it!

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the cast for Johnny Baseball, a world premiere musical about the Red Sox, with music by Robert Reale, lyrics by Willie Reale, book by Richard Dresser, story by Richard Dresser and Willie Reale, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett; musical arrangements by Bruce Coughlin.

Casting has been set for playwright/performer Richard Sheinmel's World Premiere of POST MODERN LIVING at La MaMa. The production marks the latest installment in Sheinmel's Modern Living play cycle, which began in 2006 at La MaMa.

CATS, the show that revolutionized musical theatre, will end its return in Boston April 18 at Boston's Colonial Theatre.

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for professional not-for-profit theatre announces its 2010 conference: Ideas into Action. From June 17-19, 2010, the theatre community will come together in Chicago to explore bold new solutions to the major challenges facing the theatre field, cultivate a community that strengthens and nourishes theatres and hear from artists and other thought leaders who will inspire strategic thinking and action.

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the cast for Johnny Baseball, a world premiere musical about the Red Sox, with music by Robert Reale, lyrics by Willie Reale, book by Richard Dresser, story by Richard Dresser and Willie Reale, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett; musical arrangements by Bruce Coughlin.

Sneak Preview of the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour! All-Star band are now available on Youtube.com.

La MaMa invites you to the World Premiere of playwright/performer Richard Sheinmel's POST MODERN LIVING. The production marks the latest installment in Sheinmel's Modern Living play cycle, which began in 2006.

Goodspeed Musicals, the only two time Tony Award winning theatre in the country, is fired up to announce the cast of Irving Berlin's Annie Get Your Gun. This wild west musical from the director who brought you Goodspeed's 1776 and Camelot will run from April 16 - June 27 at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Conn.

Playwright/performer Richard Sheinmel premieres POST MODERN LIVING at La MaMa beginning April 16. The production marks the latest installment of Sheinmel's Modern Living play cycle, which began in 2006 at La MaMa.

Canadian Stage continues its 2009-2010 season with the world premiere of Necessary Angel's This Is What Happens Next. The one-man show is the highly anticipated new collaboration from Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks, one of the most potent and influential partnerships in Canadian theatre. Together they have created such legendary solo shows as House (1991), Here Lies Henry (1994), Monster (1998) and Cul-de-sac (2003).

Rossini's rarely performed Armida has its Met premiere on April 12 with a gala performance of Mary Zimmerman's new production. Renowned soprano Renée Fleming stars as the mythological sorceress, Armida, one of the greatest virtuoso roles from the bel canto repertory. Fleming is joined by Lawrence Brownlee, who sings Armida's chief love interest, Rinaldo, and five more tenors in the roles of the crusader knights. José Manuel Zapata portrays Rinaldo's deadly rival Gernando.

Canadian Stage continues its 2009-2010 season with the world premiere of Necessary Angel's This Is What Happens Next. The one-man show is the highly anticipated new collaboration from Daniel MacIvor and Daniel Brooks, one of the most potent and influential partnerships in Canadian theatre. Together they have created such legendary solo shows as House (1991), Here Lies Henry (1994), Monster (1998) and Cul-de-sac (2003).

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, will welcome esteemed French actor and comedian Sami Frey in Samuel Beckett's acclaimed work, Premier Amour. On April 9 and 10, Frey will inhabit Beckett's poetry and wit for two nights only of special performances.

Big band sound transforms the Lincoln Theatre into a Duke Ellington jazz club as Arena Stage presents Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies, choreographed by and starring Maurice Hines (Broadway's Sophisticated Ladies and Uptown... It's Hot!) with direction by Charles Randolph-Wright (Arena's Guys and Dolls and Blue).

The French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF), New York's premiere French cultural center, will welcome esteemed French actor and comedian Sami Frey in Samuel Beckett's acclaimed work, Premier Amour. On April 9 and 10, Frey will inhabit Beckett's poetry and wit for two nights only of special performances.

The American Repertory Theater is pleased to announce the cast for Johnny Baseball, a world premiere musical about the Red Sox, with music by Robert Reale, lyrics by Willie Reale, book by Richard Dresser, story by Richard Dresser and Willie Reale, with musical direction and vocal arrangements by Wendy Bobbitt Cavett; musical arrangements by Bruce Coughlin.

As previously announced, this year's Ravinia Festival includes a new production of the musical Annie Get Your Gun; a gala concert celebrating Stephen Sondheim's 80th birthday and featuring highlights from Ravinia's Sondheim productions; Ravinia Music Director James Conlon's 60th birthday celebration taking the Chicago Symphony Orchestra into the Martin Theatre for two Mozart operas, featuring mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade in Così fan tutte and baritone Nathan Gunn in The Marriage of Figaro; Leonard Bernstein's Vocal Suite from Candide; Broadway vocalist Kelli O'Hara and pianist Hershey Felder in intimate solo shows in the Martin Theatre; world premieres with Concert Dance, Inc. and the debut of Delfos Danza Contemporánea; the presentation of Ballet Folklorico de Mexico; and a national radio broadcast of Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. Today, the Ravinia organization revealed that George Hearn has been added to the cast of Annie Get Your Gun as Buffalo Bill Cody, joining Patti LuPone as Annie Oakley and Brian Stokes Mitchell as Frank Butler. Paul Gemignani will conduct the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the show's three performances, Aug. 13-15. Hearn and LuPone also reunite with Michael Cerveris, Audra McDonald and the CSO for an all-Sondheim gala concert on July 31.

Christian Campbell, the star of Reefer Madness: The Musical, tick, tick... BOOM! and Trick, will headline the cast of the New York premiere of Magnetic North, a play by William Donnelly about the perilous space between flirtation and betrayal.

Today, Hennepin Theatre Trust announced a stellar 2010/11 Broadway Across America-Minneapolis Season showcasing a six-show slate of some of the nation's best new touring musicals combined with returning favorites, all scheduled to play the Trust's Orpheum Theatre in downtown Minneapolis.