Bright Lights, Big City - 2003 - New York Articles Page 6

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) is pleased to announce full casting for the upcoming world premiere of ROMANTIC POETRY, a new musical by John Patrick Shanley and Henry Krieger.

GHOSTLIGHT RECORDS, a division of Sh-K-Boom Records, is proud to announce the premiere recording of Little Fish, which was called 'a stylish new musical' by The New York Times.

With [title of show] completing the journey from Off-Broadway to Broadway this week, The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is proud to announce that it has acquired the stock and amateur rights to this hit musical written by Jeff Bowen (music and lyrics), and Hunter Bell (book). In addition to licensing the musical through R&H Theatricals, the Organization will represent Bowen's score through its music publishing division, Williamson Music.

Village Theatre is pleased to announce its exciting director line-up for the 2008-2009 Mainstage Season. Andrea Dymond, Resident Director of Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, will direct the new musical and season opener, Saint Heaven. Dymond comments, 'I'd originally directed an earlier version of Saint Heaven in a developmental workshop production, about five years ago, at the Stages Festival at Theatre Building Chicago. That's when I got to know Marty [Martin Casella, book writer] and Keith [Keith Gordon, lyricist and composer] who are every bit as gorgeous to work with as is their musical. I think Saint Heaven is unique in the fullness of its telling, the richness of its characters, and the variety of forms of deeply American music it uses to engage us in the story.' At Victory Gardens Theater, Dymond has staged a wealth of productions such as Gloria Bond Clunie's Shoes (Best Director nomination, Black Theatre Alliance) and Charles Smith's Free Man of Color (winner of the Jeff award for Best New Work). Steve Tomkins, Artistic Director for Village Theatre is set to direct the charming Disney classic Beauty and the Beast. Tomkins gave his directorial debut at Village Theatre with the 1988 production of Gypsy. This upcoming season marks his sixteenth season as Artistic Director for Village Theatre. David Ira Goldstein will direct Oscar Wilde's classic play The Importance of Being Earnest. 'I have been eager to direct Wilde's greatest comedy ever since I directed his earlier play A Woman of No Importance for the University of Washington School of Drama in 1994. If any play can invoke a spirit of pure pleasure for two hours, it is certainly Wilde's Earnest,' Goldstein comments. As artistic director of Arizona Theatre Company (ATC), Goldstein has received the 2003 Governor's Arts Award as Individual Artist for his contributions to the arts in Arizona. He has directed over 30 mainstage productions for ATC and has been a guest director across the country. Before living in Arizona, he was the associate Artistic Director of A Contemporary Theatre in Seattle. Steve Tomkins will also take on the original work Stunt Girl this season. His last three new musical projects, which include Once Upon A Time in New Jersey (2006-2007), Girl of My Dreams (2005-2006), and The Ark (2002-2003), quickly became huge hits amongst Village Theatre audiences. Lastly, Village Theatre is thrilled to announce Jerry Dixon as the director of the musical masterpiece, Show Boat. Dixon began his career as an actor with original Broadway cast performances in Once On This Island and Five Guys Named Moe, with other original roles in Bright Lights, Big City, The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, new yorkers, and tick, tick…BOOM!. Dixon's directing credits vary and include tick, tick…BOOM! (Korea and Singapore), Crowns (Kalamazoo Civic), and concerts and special events for Tony winner LaChanze, recording artist Raúl Midón, Carnegie Hall, and the Belgium National Symphony. Dixon's directorial work was last seen at Village Theatre in 2007, when he was brought from New York to direct the Village Originals production of Barnstormer.

This week: Best Bet: Rep Stage's Mrs. Farnsworth! Spotlighters goes dark! BPF to perform at the Kennedy Center! News of The Wedding Singer and My Fair Lady tours!

BroadwayWorld is proud to bring you a new six-part series of blog entries written by Valerie Vigoda of GrooveLily, the band that 'crosses the boundaries laid down by words like rock, folk, jazz and pop.'

La Jolla Playhouse Artistic Director Des McAnuff has announced three of the six shows that will be included in the upcoming 2007 La Jolla Playhouse season

Complete scheduling information has been announced for the New York Musical Theatre Festival

Grey Gardens, which recently concluded its sold out World Premiere production at Playwrights Horizons, will open on Broadway this Fall with performances beginning in October at The Walter Kerr Theatre (219 West 48th Street).

On January 10th, Eden Espinosa, Carol Kane, Derrick Williams and Cristy Candler will join the Broadway cast of Wicked

On January 10th, Eden Espinosa, Carol Kane and Derrick Williams will join the Broadway production of Wicked

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, artistic director; Barry Grove, executive producer) is pleased to announce the full cast for the upcoming New York premiere of BEAUTY OF THE FATHER by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz (Anna in the Tropics) with direction by Michael Greif (Rent).