Much Ado About Nothing Revival

When the Twist, the Pony and the Watusi replace the galliard and gavotte, and ruffs and farthingales give way to Aloha shirts and bikinis, one may well ask with Viola 'What country, friend, is this?' It is indeed Illyria, Lady but you fetched up in a groovy 1960's beach blanket bingo-ing incarnation.

Water Works Theatre Company announces its annual Shakespeare in the Park fundraiser event will be held today, June 28th at the Royal Oak Historical Society Museum. The evening will include a world premiere performance of Shakespeare Duets.

In the winter and spring of 2013, Town Hall Theater and Middlebury Actors Workshop (MAW) teamed up to develop a short original Shakespeare show called 'Straight Up Shakespeare - The Things We Do For Love' as part of its educational outreach program. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast in action!

On Saturday night, BEHOLD: A Gala Performance, honoring 50 years of the Guthrie, took place on the theater's Wurtele Thrust Stage before a packed house. The performance featured a glittering array of contributors including actors and artists linked to all aspects of the Guthrie's past and its vision for the future. BEHOLD, the centerpiece of a weekend that captivated the Twin Cities and marked the long and vital relationship between the Guthrie and the community that it calls home, marked the half-century milestone for the flagship of the American regional theater movement that first opened its doors in 1963.

Additional casting has been announced for the critically heralded all-male Shakespeare's Globe repertory productions of Twelfth Night andRichard III on Broadway this fall. The productions, which delighted audiences and broke all box office records in London's West End earlier this year, will open Sunday, November 10 at the Belasco Theatre (111 West 44th Street), with previews beginning October 15. Twelfth Nightand Richard III, which are directed by Tim Carroll, designed by Jenny Tiramani and with music by Claire van Kampen, will play a limited engagement for 16 weeks. Tickets are on sale now through www.telecharge.com. For a schedule of performances and more information, please visit www.ShakespeareBroadway.com

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is sponsoring its 12th annual London Theatre Tour, visiting the capital of the English-speaking theatre world from November 5 to 14, 2013.

Berkshire Theatre Group presents James Goldman's The Lion in Winter at The Fitzpatrick Main Stage in Stockbridge opening on June 29 at 8pm. Previews begin tonight, June 25 at 8pm and closing is on July 13 at 8pm.

The Utah Shakespeare Festival previously announced the casting of the first eight actors for the 2013 season. All are familiar faces, having appeared at the Festival in the past. Actors slated to appear include: Corey Jones, Melinda Parrett, Henry Woronicz, Roderick Peeples, Melinda Pfundstein, Quinn Mattfeld, David Ivers, and Barbara Bednarczuk.

Theatre Planners will present a World Premiere play, THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY, written by Peter Lefcourt, and directed by Terri Hanauer. THE ASSASSINATION OF LEON TROTSKY: A COMEDY will open tonight, June 22 at 8pm and will run through Saturday, July 28 as a guest production at the Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., in Los Angeles.

Foa recently chatted with BroadwayWorld about his crazy summer schedule, which will include rehearsals in Connecticut, filming Season 5 of NCIS:LA, and a recent gig at the 2013 Tony Awards. Check out what he had to say below!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tony winner Mark Rylance has joined Sean Penn in the upcoming action movie THE GUNMAN, directed by Pierre Morel for Silver Pictures.

On last night's THE COLBERT REPORT on Comedy Central, 'Much Ado About Nothing' director Joss Whedon talked about his name, his modern Shakespeare adaptation and 'The Avengers 2.' Check out the appearance below!

According to Deadline.com, Joss Whedon's film MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING received a limited June 7th release via Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate, followed by a wider release today, June 21, 2013. The movie premiered this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Joss Whedon's film Much Ado About Nothing was released today, June 21, via Roadside Attractions and Lionsgate. The movie premiered this fall at the Toronto International Film Festival. Click below to watch candid cast interviews with the 'Much Ado' team!

According to Fandango, the nation's leading moviegoing destination, Disney/Pixar's “Monsters University” is topping the company's Fanticipation buzz indicator

The Queens Players presents Macbeth, with direction by Alberto Bonilla, July 11 through the 27th.

It's no secret that Shakespeare's plays are among the most challenging for actors and directors to tackle. The language is dense and the plot is often complex, making it difficult for modern audiences to connect with the play. While some productions easily rise to the occasion, there's something amiss in The City Theatre's current production of Much Ado About Nothing. While the two leads are delightful to watch, the rest of the production is fairly middle of the road. It certainly won't be among the worst production of Shakespeare that you're bound to see, but it won't be among the best either.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), will present the rollicking World Premiere of SHAKESPEARE'S CYMBELINE: A FOLK TALE WITH MUSIC, previewing tonight, June 19, opening Saturday, June 22 at 8:15 p.m., and running through July 21, 2013.

The Atlanta Shakespeare Company at The New American Shakespeare Tavern announces its 2013-2014 Season. Details below!

Bloomington Theatre and Art Center (BTAC) is offering a variety of theater classes for youth and adults this spring and summer, including classes that introduce actors young and old to the works of William Shakespeare.

The Guthrie Theater presents its production of 2011 Pulitzer Prize and 2012 Tony Award winner Clybourne Park by Bruce Norris, the biting, powerhouse contemporary satire about race and gentrification during the past half century in America. Written in response to Lorraine Hansberry's classic A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park has sparked conversation and dialogue across America wherever it has played. Lisa Peterson (Guthrie: Major Barbara, Oedipus) returns to direct another great, biting American story at the Guthrie after last year's lauded production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production photos below.

Afraid of the Dark is a new brand of theatrical terror that paralyzes the audience with fear. Everyone is afraid of something. What scares you when the lights go out? Afraid of the Dark will have its World Premiere in London this autumn, playing at The Charing Cross Theatre from 2 September - 26 October, with a press night on Wednesday 11 September.

Celebrating the 80th birthday of playwright and novelist David Storey, the first London production in over 30 years - and the first production in London since the original National Theatre production- David Storey's Early Days plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Today and Monday evening and Tuesday matinee performances from tonight, 16 June 2013 (Press Night: Monday 17 June 2013 at 7.30pm).

Profiles Theatre announces an extended run for the World Premiere of Resident Artist Neil LaBute's revised stage version of In the Company of Men, now playing at The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway. Directed by Profiles Resident Artist and Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder, In the Company of Men opened May 16 to critical acclaim and has been extended for another four weeks through July 28, 2013.

The Old Globe presents THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE!, a 90-minute presentation exploring the language of Shakespeare, today, June 15 at 11 a.m. Led by Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein and assisted by three professional classical actors, this special program based on Edelstein's book, THINKING SHAKESPEARE: A HOW-TO GUIDE FOR STUDENT ACTORS, DIRECTORS, AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THE BARD, will reveal a performer's approach to Shakespearean language so audiences may easily understand the poetry of the Bard. An ideal introduction to Shakespeare for families and young audiences, THINKING SHAKESPEARE LIVE! will take place on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Globe's Conrad Prebys Theatre Center.

California Shakespeare Theater continues its 2013 season with a theatrically inventive production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, directed byShana Cooper (2011's Taming of the Shrew) playing at the Bruns Amphitheater July 3-28.

In an interview in yesterday's GQ, screenwriter, film and television producer, director, comic book author,composer, and actor Joss Whedon spoke about his recent film MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING as well as his future projects, including AVENGERS 2.

New Hampshire and summerstock are pretty much interchangeable. Across the Granite State, theatergoers will find incredible options for live entertainment. One night they could be in an old barn, where the floors creek and an occasional bat will make its presence known. Then the next night, you're in a brand new, modern facility with air conditioning, comfy seats and a bar.

A mix of verbal jousting, slapstick, mischievous characters, and romance is set to bring Much Ado about Nothing, William Shakespeare's most-loved romantic comedies, to the City Theatre stage. Directed by Bridget Farias, a cast of twenty actors makes the production the largest staged Shakespeare play at City Theatre. The show runs tonight, June 13 - July 7, 2013.

Connecticut's premier outdoor Shakespeare will present As You Like It, tonight, June 13-30, 2013. The show is one of Shakespeare's most beloved and pastoral comedies. Claire Shannon Kelly, currently the Director of Youth Programming for Shakespeare on the Sound and the director of the company's touring educational program, 'Speaking Daggers,' will direct. Kelly previously worked at the Ordway Theater, the Guthrie Theater, the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey and the George Street Playhouse. She is a resident of New Canaan.

Lisa Bostnar returns to the Peterborough Players in this, its 80th anniversary season, to reprise the role of Irina Arkadina in Anton Chekhov's Seagull, directed by the Players' Artistic Director Gus Kaikkonen.

Brave Spirits Theatre has announced its fourth production, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. The production will run beginning tonight, June 12 at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street, NE, Washington, D.C.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's first collaboration, Oklahoma!, which earned the legendary duo a special Pulitzer prize, opens the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival's 22nd season. The musical previews tonight, June 12th and 13th, opens June 14th, running through June 30th on the main stage.

#theaternow presents the world premiere of Peter and the Neverbird, a new one-man play inspired by J. M. Barrie's beloved classic, Peter and Wendy. This exciting new piece combines imagination-powered magic and theatricality to tell a new story of our cherished Peter Pan and the Neverbird, a lesser, benevolent figure from the book, who here gets a deeper exploration. Written and performed by Chris Bresky, it is directed by Sally Ollove and played two performances only -- June 8th and June 9th. BroadwayWorld has photos of Bresky in action below!

One of Greater Boston's most beloved traditions, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's 'Free Shakespeare On The Common' celebrates its 18th season with the comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Inspired by Rat Pack-era Vegas, this production brings together the talents of CSC's Artistic Director Steve Maler, music director Colin Thurmond and choreographer Yo-el Cassel. Playing July 6 - 28, 2013, performances are free and open to the public.

Nick Payne won last year's Evening Standard Award for Best New Play for Constellations. John Crowley returns to the Donmar to direct Payne's witty and incisive new play.

First Folio Theatre (Mayslake Peabody Estate, 31st St. & Rt. 83), will present the rollicking World Premiere of SHAKESPEARE'S CYMBELINE: A FOLK TALE WITH MUSIC, previewing June 19, opening Saturday, June 22 at 8:15 p.m., and running through July 21, 2013. This wondrous new version of the timeless Shakespearean folk tale has been moved to Civil War Appalachia and includes 10 original songs featuring beautiful bluegrass melodies. SHAKESPEARE'S CYMBELINE: A FOLK TALE WITH MUSIC is adapted by First Folio Theatre's Executive Director and Jeff Award-nominee, David Rice, with Music and Lyrics by Rice and Michael Keefe (First Folio's Resident Composer). Michael Goldberg (The Madness of Edgar Allan Poe, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream at First Folio Theatre) directs the "Shakespeare Under the Stars" production, which concludes First Folio Theatre's smash hit 2013 season. It will appear on the outdoor main stage situated on the scenic slopes of the historic Mayslake Peabody Estate.

The producers of I Forgive You, Ronald Reagan, the new play by John S. Anastasi, in which the present is on a collision course with the past, are pleased to announce the cast and creative team for a limited Off-Broadway run this summer. Directed by Charles Abbott, performances will begin at The Beckett Theatre (410 West 42nd Street - between 9th & 10th Aves.) on Monday, July 15. Opening Night is set for Tuesday, July 30 at 7:00 p.m. The show is scheduled to play through August 25th.

Come on along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway at the Barn Theatre! The glamour, spectacle, and fashion of 1930s Broadway comes to the Barn in 42ND STREET tonight, June 11 through 23.

Trinity Repertory Company previously announced that three local Rhode Island residents would be receiving Pell Awards this year in addition to Kate Burton, the recipient of the 2013 Pell Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts. The 17th annual Pell Awards will be held tonight, June 10, 2013 at Trinity Rep with a reception to follow next door at the Providence Public Library.

Barrington Stage Company (BSC), the award-winning theatre in downtown Pittsfield, MA, under the leadership of Julianne Boyd Artistic Director and Tristan Wilson Managing Director, has announced casting for Chaim Potok's The Chosen, adapted and directed by Aaron Posner, and Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Julianne Boyd at the Boyd-Quinson Mainstage, 30 Union Street, Pittsfield.

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced today that due to inclement weather, The Public Theater Gala performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE will now happen on the rain date, Tuesday, June 11 at 8:00 p.m. at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. A stand-by line for tomorrow's concert performance will start forming at 6:00 p.m. with any available tickets given out just prior to curtain.

The Public Theater announced today that Kevin Kline will reprise his Tony Award-winning role of The Pirate King with Glenn Close as Ruth, Eric Idle as the Sergeant, and Martin Short as Major-General Stanley in the one-night-only concert performance of THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE for The Public's annual gala. Co-chaired by Sir Howard Stringer, Arielle Tepper Madover, and Renee Beaumont, this unforgettable summer evening will also honor the late Nora Ephron who was a long-time board member and consummate lover of The Public's Shakespeare in the Park.