Blithe Spirit - 2014 - US Tour Articles Page 19

49TH Parallel in association the multi-award-winning NoHo Arts Center Ensemble (NoHo ACE), are thrilled to present the Los Angeles premiere of a new play, BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW, written by Bekah Brunstetter (OOHRAH!) and directed by Sara Botsford. BE A GOOD LITTLE WIDOW will preview on Thursday, April 17 at 8pm and will open on Friday, April 18 at 8pm and run for six weeks through Sunday, May 25, 2014 at the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. (at Lankershim) in North Hollywood.

Westport Country Playhouse will open its 2014 Season with Noel Coward's witty and poignant tale, 'A Song at Twilight,' directed by Playhouse artistic director Mark Lamos, April 29 - May 17, a co-production with Hartford Stage where it ran earlier this year. Celebrating its 84th season, Westport Country Playhouse was recently named Theater Company of the Year by The Wall Street Journal.

The Alumnae Theatre Company presents its season finale Mainstage show of the 2013-2014 season: Rabbit Hole, by David Lindsay-Abaire. The current production is directed by Paul Hardy, who also directed Alumnae's critically acclaimed production of Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance in the 2012-2013 season.

Traverse Theatre Company will be in New York this April, taking Fringe 2013 hits A Respectable Widow Takes to Vulgarity and Clean for a month-long run at 59E59 Theaters, marking New York's Scotland Week (today 3 - 10 April) as part of 59E59 Theaters' Brits Off Broadway season.

Vermont's award-winning Weston Playhouse Theatre Company has announced its 2014 season of shows - a summer of Broadway blockbusters and exciting new works. Highlights include the world premiere of Paul Gordon's rock musical Analog and Vinyl directed by Michael Berresse, Christopher Lloyd and Campbell Scott in Annie Baker's Uncle Vanya, and Obie winner Dael Orlandersmith in her one-woman Stoop Stories.

A new paperback edition of Noel Coward's classic comedy BLITHE SPIRIT is now available for pre-order.

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).

Pioneer Theatre Company presents Alabama Story, the third installment of PTC's new play reading series, called Play-By-Play. Alabama Story by Kenneth Jones runs April 4 and 5, 2014. PTC Artistic Director Karen Azenberg directs the production.

Whether you've been living under a rock for the past week or you're just in the mood for a recap, BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures' is here to satisfy your end-of-the-week fix! Take a look below to catch up on the latest happenings from the Great White Way to The West End (and everywhere in between) with coverage of press events, rehearsals, opening nights and more. Highlights this week include a first look at the Broadway company of MOTHERS AND SONS, a peek into rehearsals of THE WAY WEST with Amy Morton, coverage of opening night of BLITHE SPIRIT starring Angela Lansbury, and more!

ROLEX presents NEW YORK NEW YORK a helluva town - Career Transition For Dancers' 29th Anniversary Jubilee on Monday, October 6, 2014 at 7:00 pm at New York City Center, 131 West 55 Street (btwn. 6th & 7th Aves) NYC followed by dinner at The Grand Ballroom at The Hilton New York. Angela Lansbury will receive the 2014 Rolex Dance Award.

Arden Theatre Company presents the world premiere of a new translation of Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov, translated by Curt Columbus, directed by Terrence J. Nolen. The production appears on the Arden's F. Otto Haas Stage from today, March 20 through April 20, 2014 at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia.

Let's see what the critics had to say...

Jemima Rooper, Sandra Dickinson, Simon Jones and Patsy Ferran join Janie Dee, Charles Edwards and Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit, directed by Michael Blakemore. This new production of Noel Coward's sharp comedy of social mores opens at the Gielgud Theatre tonight, 18 March 2014.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: GLEE's 100th episode airs tonight, Angela Lansbury returns to the stage in BLITHE SPIRIT, Toni Braxton and Babyface join AFTER MIDNIGHT and more.

The third play in MALIBU PLAYHOUSE's 2013-2014 season will be The Vortex by Noel Coward, opening Friday, April 11, 2014. The play will be directed by Artistic Director Gene Franklin Smith and stars Shannon Holt and Craig Robert Young. Tickets are $30, and may be purchased through the box office, online at http://www.malibuplayhouse.org or by calling 323-960-7711. There will be previews on April 9th and 10th for $20. Shows are Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Malibu Playhouse is located at 29243 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA 90265 (near Zuma Beach, between Kanan-Dume Road and Morning View Drive, near Heathercliff Road).

PICT Theatre's Artistic and Executive Director Alan Stanford has selected a bold assortment of classic plays for PICT's 18th season, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Each play contains its own version of wickedness, with the Noel Coward classic Blithe Spirit opening the season May 3rd (May 1 and 2 previews.)

Traverse Theatre Company will be in New York this April, taking Fringe 2013 hits A Respectable Widow Takes to Vulgarity and Clean for a month-long run at 59E59 Theaters, marking New York's Scotland Week (3 - 10 April) as part of 59E59 Theaters' Brits Off Broadway season.

When sheltered Claudine meets starving artist Henry, she falls head over heels. But her mother, a tough-talking celebrity financial guru, has her doubts: Is Henry everything her daughter deserves or is he only after her money? Rich Girl, a modern day take on the classic play and film The Heiress, is a clever new comedy about women, men, mothers, and money – but not necessarily in that order.

Last fall NATURAL GAS, the five-year-old house improv team of The Gift Theatre, took up an open run on Friday nights at Wicker Park's The Den Theatre, performing entirely improvised group sets in addition to their standing Wednesday night set at The Gift in Jefferson Park. Now, NATURAL GAS presents YOU & ME-a two-person, entirely improvised show featuring NATURAL GAS ensemble member/The Gift artistic director Michael Patrick Thornton with a special guest from the Chicago improv/theatre community. Upcoming performances of YOU & ME are Fridays Feb. 28 (with NATURAL GAS' Jim Kozyra), March 14 (with Susan Messing) and April 4 (with Keith Neagle) at 10:30 p.m. An ongoing schedule can be found at thegifttheatre.org/shows-events/gas-the-den.

Olivier award-winning actor Ruthie Henshall is to join the cast of Billy Elliot the Musical to play Billy's dance teacher Mrs Wilkinson. Henshall's first performance will be 12 May 2014, nine years to the day sinceBilly Elliot the Musical officially opened at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The internationally celebrated show which has now been seen by over 9.5 million people worldwide is currently booking to 16 May 2015and features music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall. Stephen Daldry directs with choreography by Peter Darling.

59E59 Theaters will launch the Scotland Week celebrations with US premiere of the double bill of A RESPECTABLE WIDOW TAKES TO VULGARITY by Douglas Maxwell and CLEAN by Sabrina Mahfouz, both directed by Orla O'Loughlin. Produced by the Traverse Theatre, A RESPECTABLE WIDOW TAKES TO VULGARITY and CLEAN begin performances on Wednesday, April 2 for a limited engagement through Saturday, April 26. Press opening is Wednesday, April 9 at 7:15 PM.

Artists Repertory Theatre's 2014/15 season will further its mission of engaging diverse audiences in fresh, thought-provoking and intimate theatre. Next season's play offerings will assert Artists Rep's role as Portland's premiere mid-size regional theatre company by offering six major Portland premieres, alongside two classic masterpieces. The play selections will feature four Pulitzer Prize-recognized playwrights, and offer a diverse mix of theatrical styles, themes, settings and experiences. The season will feature the work of Artists Rep's Resident Artist Company, alongside guest artists from Portland's world-class theatre community and beyond.

Great Lakes Theater (GLT), Cleveland's Classic Company, commences the second half its 2014-15 season with Ira Levin's murder mystery masterpiece, Deathtrap. The production will be performed in the company's intimate and audience-friendly home at the Hanna Theatre, PlayhouseSquare, now through March 16, 2014. Charles Fee, GLT's Producing Artistic Director, directs the production. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Berkshire Theatre Group and Artistic Director/CEO, Kate Maguire have announced the Summer 2014 Theatre Season offering classic works coupled with contemporary plays.

The Gift Theatre Artistic Director Michael Patrick Thornton announces the Chicago premiere of Thinner Than Water written by Melissa Ross and directed by The Gift ensemble member John Gawlik (2013 Jeff Award winner for When the Rain Stops Falling at Circle Theatre). The production marks Thornton's return to The Gift main stage since ensemble member Andrew Hinderaker's Jeff Nominated Dirty in 2012. Thornton recently appeared in Les Waters' production of Our Town at Actors Theatre of Louisville. Thornton joins guest artists Donna McGough (last seen in Coriolanus with The Hypocrites) and Darci Nalepa (Dirty) and fellow Gift ensemble members Brittany Burch (The Lonesome West), Paul D'Addario (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest), Gabriel Franken (Broadsword), Lynda Newton (Absolute Hell) and Jay Worthington (Vigils).