Paint Your Wagon - 2015 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 5

Encores! Artistic Director Jack Viertel today announced the creative teams for New York City Center's 2016 Encores! season. J. Bernard Calloway, Chuck Cooper, Marva Hicks, Carly Hughes, LaChanze, Norm Lewis, Forrest McClendon, and J.D. Webster will star in Vernon Duke and John Latouche's jazz?filled fable Cabin in the Sky, running for seven performances at City Center from February 10-14. The 1940 musical will be directed by Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago?Hudson with choreography by Camille A. Brown.

This melodic, memorable and quirky pop score provides biting social commentary along with a little romance and an outrageously good time for all. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cringe.

The full cast is set for the first national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, opening at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on December 10, 2015, and playing through January 17, 2016. (Previews on December 8 and 9.)

The director and designers behind Rubicon Theatre Company's acclaimed environmental productions ofFiddler on the Roof and Man of La Mancha have reunited on the two-piano chamber version of the legendary Lerner and Loewe's classic My Fair Lady. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, the musical tells the story of Professor Henry Higgins, an arrogant and attractive phonetician who makes a wager that he can transform a 'deliciously low' Cockney flower-seller (Eliza Doolittle) into an elegant lady by teaching her to speak more beautifully. The magnificent score includes 'I Could Have Danced All Night,' 'On the Street Where You Live,' 'Wouldn't It Be Loverly,' and 'I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face.' For Rubicon's production, Director James O'Neil returns to the source material to explore the Shavian themes of class struggle, social reform and women's rights.

This melodic, memorable and quirky pop score provides biting social commentary along with a little romance and an outrageously good time for all. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll cringe.

Broadway quadruple threat and Bistro Award winner, Robert Creighton, recently seen as the title character in the critically lauded CAGNEY at The York Theatre Company, returned to 54 Below on Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm with AN EVENING WITH ROBERT CREIGHTON. Creighton, one of the busiest actors working in the musical theater, will sing his favorite music from the early decades of the 20th Century, along with his original songs.

Broadway quadruple threat and Bistro Award winner, Robert Creighton, recently seen as the title character in the critically lauded CAGNEY at The York Theatre Company, returns to 54 Below tonight, September 15th, at 7pm with AN EVENING WITH ROBERT CREIGHTON.  Creighton, one of the busiest actors working in the musical theater, will sing his favorite music from the early decades of the 20th Century, along with his original songs.

The Casting Society of America (CSA) has revealed its first-round nominees for the 31st Annual Artios Awards across the theater, television, web series and short film categories. This year, the Television Animation category has been divided into two categories: Television Animation-Adult and Television Animation-Children. All winners will be announced at the 31st Annual Artios Awards at the height of awards season on Thursday, January 21, 2016.

Broadway quadruple threat and Bistro Award winner, Robert Creighton, recently seen as the title character in the critically lauded CAGNEY at The York Theatre Company, returns to 54 Below on Tuesday, September 15th at 7pm with AN EVENING WITH ROBERT CREIGHTON.  Creighton, one of the busiest actors working in the musical theater, will sing his favorite music from the early decades of the 20th Century, along with his original songs.

The Muny announced today the cast for its production of Oklahoma! (August 10 -16) directed by Rob Ruggiero, choreographed by Susan Stroman and music directed by Kevin Stites. Ginger Thatcher will restage Ms. Stroman's choreography.

Westchester Broadway Theatre to present BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS, conceived and developed by Lynnette Barkley and Christopher McGovern, with book/musical arrangements/original songs by Christopher McGovern. Directed and choreographed by Jeremy Benton, with musical direction by Jose Simbulan, the show runs August 13 - September 20, 2015, starring Darien Crago as Ginger Rogers.

Jenni Barber, Quentin Earl Darrington, Bradley Dean, Dan Fogler, Ana Gasteyer, Josh Lamon, Aaron Lazar, Alyse Alan Louis and Rema Webb join Jonathan Groff in the Encores! Off-Center production of William Finn and James Lapine's A New Brain, running tonight, June 24, through June 27, 2015. The production is directed by James Lapine, with choreography by Josh Prince.

It's the 20th anniversary of Broadway's tender and funny, smart and sexy Victor/ Victoria and the Ogunquit Playhouse is celebrating by mounting a full-scale glamorous production of the musical comedy tonight, June 24 to July 18, complete with the original Broadway and touring sets designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by Willa Kim.

Megan Hilty will star in New York City Center's annual Gala Annie Get Your Gun: In Concert, a one-night-only performance of the classic Irving Berlin musical, on October 27, 2015. Directed by Tony Award winner John Rando, the Gala will feature The Encores! Orchestra led by Encores! Music Director Rob Berman. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The event will help fund New York City Center's artistic and education programs.

My Fair Lady (running tonight, June 15, through June 21) is the opening production of The Muny's 97th summer season. 

It's the 20th anniversary of Broadway's tender and funny, smart and sexy Victor/ Victoria and the Ogunquit Playhouse is celebrating by mounting a full-scale glamorous production of the musical comedy June 24 to July 18, complete with the original Broadway and touring sets designed by Robin Wagner and costumes by Willa Kim.

The Muny announced today the cast for its production of Oklahoma! (August 10 -16) directed by Rob Ruggiero, choreographed by Susan Stroman and music directed by Kevin Stites. Ginger Thatcher will restage Ms. Stroman's choreography.

The Muny announced today the complete cast for its production of Alan Jay Lerner (book & lyrics) and Frederick Loewe's (music) classic My Fair Lady. The production will be directed by Marc Bruni, choreographed by Chris Bailey and music directed by Ben Whiteley.

Jenni Barber, Quentin Earl Darrington, Bradley Dean, Dan Fogler, Ana Gasteyer, Josh Lamon, Aaron Lazar, Alyse Alan Louis and Rema Webb will join the previously announced Jonathan Groff in the Encores! Off-Center production of William Finn and James Lapine's A New Brain, running June 24 - 27, 2015. The production will be directed by James Lapine, with choreography by Josh Prince.

The 5th Avenue Theatre New Works Program will bring a new kind of festival to Seattle's vibrant arts community this summer with its inaugural NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals. Taking place in the historic theater's rehearsal halls and studios July 20-August 15, 2015, NextFest is a celebration of new musicals at various stages of development ranging from a first read-through of new text and music all the way to a fully staged studio presentation of a work.

In the second major grant announcement of fiscal year 2015, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will make a $30,000 award to The 5th Avenue Theatre to support a musical in the company's 2016/17 season. The NEA will make 1,023 awards totaling $74.3 million nationwide in this funding round. Through its grant-making to thousands of nonprofits each year, the NEA promotes opportunities for people in communities across America to experience the arts and exercise their creativity.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-winning musical The Music Man, tonight, May 1 through May 16, 2015.

42nd Street Moon presents INVENTING CHAMPAGNE, a two-night-only engagement celebrating legendary film and Broadway lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, starring two-time Tony-nominated actress Nancy Dussault (The Sound of Music, Do Re Mi).

Lincoln Center Theater presents Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I, led by Kelli O'Hara (as Anna Leonowens) and Ken Watanabe (as the King of Siam), directed by Bartlett Sher. The production opens tonight, April 16, 2015 at the Vivian Beaumont Theater (150 West 65 Street). Scroll down to learn more about the company, plus watch highlights from the show!

Pioneer Theatre Company presents the Tony Award-winning musical The Music Man, May 1 through May 16, 2015.