Metamorphoses - 2001 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 6

Today, as Green Day's American Idiot takes Broadway by storm, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced a rare opportunity for fans to bid on exclusive items from the show's world-premiere run in California.

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.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer. The production runs May 4-July 11, 2010, at Writers' Theatre, 325 Tudor Court in Glencoe.

Laughter will fill the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction as Northern Stage's presents the Off-Broadway smash Greater Tuna. This madcap romp features two veteran Northern Stage actors, Scott Cote (Beauty & the Beast, Cabaret, Moon Over Buffalo) and Kevin Loreque (I Am My Own Wife, The Full Monty, CATS, The Elephant Man, Cabaret,) playing 19 characters-men, women, even Yippy the dog-in 90 minutes. With 15-second costume changes and rapid-fire humor, this promises to be an audience favorite.

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.

The Wilma Theater will close the curtain on the World Premiere production of Language Rooms, a black comedy that exposes the divided loyalties among today's immigrants, discovering the rising cost of the American Dream, on April 4th. The play, from rising Arab-American playwright Yussef El Guindi, is directed by the Wilma's co-Artistic Director Blanka Zizka.

Producers Phil Monat, T. Richard Fitzgerald and Randall L. Wreghitt announced today that TALLEY'S FOLLY, the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning play by Lanford Wilson (Burn This, Fifth of July, Balm in Gilead) will have its first-ever Broadway revival as part of the 2010-2011 Season. The production will begin previews in spring 2011, with exact dates and a theater to be announced.

59E59 Theaters will close its production of Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater's CONVICTION, by Oren Neeman, adapted by Ami Dayan and Mark Williams and directed by Jeremy Cole. CONVICTION began performances on February 16 and will end its run on March 21st.

The Wilma Theater continues its 2009 - 2010 season with the World Premiere production of Language Rooms, a black comedy that exposes the divided loyalties among today's immigrants, discovering the rising cost of the American Dream.

The upcoming Broadway production of Lucy Prebble's critically acclaimed play ENRON, directed by Rupert Goold, is proud to welcome actors JORDAN BALLARD (Hairspray), BRANDON J. DIRDEN (Prelude to a Kiss), ANTHONY HOLDS (Spamalot, Pal Joey), TY JONES (Judgment at Nuremberg, Henry IV, Julius Caesar), TOM NELIS (The Caine Mutiny Court Martial, Aida), JEFF SKOWRON (The Lion King, High Society), LUSIA STRUS (the upcoming untitled Gus Van Sant project), BEN HARTLEY (Swan Lake, The Little Mermaid) and ELLYN MARIE MARSH to the company.

The Wilma Theater continues its 2009 - 2010 season with the World Premiere production of Language Rooms, a black comedy that exposes the divided loyalties among today's immigrants, discovering the rising cost of the American Dream.

Writers' Theatre Artistic Director Michael Halberstam and Executive Director Kathryn M. Lipuma announce casting for Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire, directed by David Cromer. The cast includes Natasha Lowe (Blanche), Matt Hawkins (Stanley), Danny McCarthy (Mitch), Jenn Engstrom (Eunice), Loren Lazarine (Steve), Esteban Andres Cruz (Pablo), Stacy Stoltz (Stella), Carolyn E. Nelson (Colored Woman/Matron), Derek Hasenstab (Doctor) and Ryan Hallahan (Young Collector).

59E59 Theaters will welcome Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater with the NY premiere of CONVICTION, by Oren Neeman, adapted by Ami Dayan and Mark Williams and directed by Jeremy Cole. CONVICTION begins performances on Tuesday, February 16 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 21. Press opening is Tuesday, February 23 at 7:15 PM.

The Wilma Theater continues its 2009 - 2010 season with the World Premiere production of Language Rooms, a black comedy that exposes the divided loyalties among today's immigrants, discovering the rising cost of the American Dream.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater with the NY premiere of CONVICTION, by Oren Neeman, adapted by Ami Dayan and Mark Williams and directed by Jeremy Cole. CONVICTION begins performances on Tuesday, February 16 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 21. Press opening is Tuesday, February 23 at 7:15 PM.

59E59 Theaters will welcome Chicago's Victory Gardens Theater with the NY premiere of CONVICTION, by Oren Neeman, adapted by Ami Dayan and Mark Williams and directed by Jeremy Cole. CONVICTION begins performances on Tuesday, February 16 for a limited engagement through Sunday, March 21. Press opening is Tuesday, February 23 at 7:15 PM.

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) will present the New York premiere of THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY, a new play written by Kristoffer Diaz and directed by Edward Torres.

Even as the world premiere of Green Day's American Idiot takes the Roda Theatre by storm, Berkeley Repertory Theatre celebrates bringing two shows to Broadway that were developed on the same stage.

Carrie Fisher set box-office records at Berkeley Repertory Theatre with her hilarious solo show, Wishful Drinking. Then it became a New York Times bestseller and played to sold-out crowds on a six-city national tour. Now Fisher returns to Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, her last stop before the show bursts onto Broadway! This limited run - 15 performances only - begins July 9 and ends July 23.

As playwright Matthew Lombardo continues to develop the upcoming Arena Stage production of Looped starring four-time Emmy Award-winning Valerie Harper (Rhoda on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as Tallulah Bankhead, a casting change has taken place. Jay Goede, known for his work on Broadway in Angels in America, A Year with Frog and Toad and Sex and Longing, will now play opposite Harper in the pre-Broadway staging, directed by Rob Ruggiero at Arena Stage at the Lincoln Theatre May 29 through June 28, 2009. Full release to follow at a later date.

Carrie Fisher set box-office records at Berkeley Repertory Theatre with her hilarious solo show, Wishful Drinking. Then it became a New York Times bestseller and played to sold-out crowds on a six-city national tour. Now Fisher returns to Berkeley Rep's Roda Theatre, her last stop before the show bursts onto Broadway! This limited run - 15 performances only - begins July 9 and ends July 23.

The Wilma Theater welcomes a distinguished group of speakers on Monday, June 1 at 7:30 p.m. for The Metamorphoses of Sigmund: Freud and His Afterlives, a panel discussion in conjunction with the East Coast premiere of Hysteria, by Terry Johnson. Directed by Jiri Zizka, the production brings the theater's 30th anniversary season to a close and runs May 13 through June 14, 2009.

Today, the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced the seventh play selected for its upcoming season: the West Coast premiere of Coming Home by Athol Fugard completes a bold slate that already features four world premieres, a West Coast premiere from Tony Kushner, and a holiday show starring the grandchild of Charlie Chaplin.

Press release notes declared there were 'cheers and applause mingled with fond farewells - and a few tears - when 400 guests raised their glasses at the end of the 17th annual Narsai Toast. The cheers were a response to the announcement that, in a single evening, these gourmands had raised more than $440,000 to support the Tony Award-winning Berkeley Repertory Theatre. The tears were prompted by the realization that, after nearly two decades of creating exceptional culinary events for the Theatre that raised more than $4.7 million, Narsai David has stepped off the podium of his eponymous event for the final time'.

Today, even as it celebrates sending another show to Broadway, Berkeley Repertory Theatre announced a new season of adventurous plays for local theatre lovers. Tony Taccone, artistic director of the Tony Award-winning company, revealed five bold shows selected for the upcoming year.