Reasons to Be Pretty - 2011 - West End Articles Page 13

According to an Equity Audition notice, the Steppenwolf's production of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf will begin previews on Broadway on September 27, 2012 in anticipation of its previously announced October 13, 2012 opening at a Shubert Theatre to be announced. Pam Mackinnon will continue to helm the project. Jerry Frankel, Jeffrey Richards Susan Q. Gallin and Mary Lu Roffe will produce.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Chocolate Factory Productions previously announced the transfer of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party to Wyndham's Theatre from tonight, 15th May.

This Tuesday marked the second most exciting day of any given year for Broadway babies - the Tony Award nominations. The actual awards ceremony on CBS - Broadway's night of nights - is still a few weeks off, but now is certainly an ideal time to size up the competition(s) and see who will most likely walk away with Tony gold come June 10 - and this year's ceremony, more than most before, could very well be as surprising as this season was; or Tuesday's nominations themselves were, for that matter. While the 2011-2012 Broadway season certainly fell far short of the heady promise many ascribed to its prospects way back last Summer, we certainly saw the fulfillment of some big dreams for some notable names if not an all-in-all banner year for Broadway when collectively considered. The highly-praised Off-Broadway critical darling LYSISTRATA JONES landed with a thud early in the season, as did the re-jiggered, gender-bending revival of ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER and its star Harry Connick, Jr., and, even the lauded and relatively successful revival of Stephen Sondheim's peerless masterpiece FOLLIES failed to make any money and closed. GODSPELL did not fare much better, though it is still running. The two highly-anticipated revivals of Andrew Lloyd Webber's classic early successes JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR and EVITA were met with indifferent reviews - with the latter receiving some nasty press for its stars, neither of whom received Tony nominations - but receptive audiences so far. THE GERSHWINS' PORGY & BESS could take Best Revival, after all - but will NICE WORK's Kelli O'Hara edge out four-time Tony recipient Audra McDonald? New plays did not fare much better than the measly crop of musicals, but OTHER DESERT CITIES and VENUS IN FUR seemed to hit their target demographics squarely, but CLYBOURNE PARK looks to be the frontrunner for Best Play despite all that. We shall see. Mike Nichols may take home another Best Director for his sensitive, if workmanlike revival of Arthur Miller's DEATH OF A SALESMAN, as conceivably could Philip Seymour Hoffman and Andrew Garfield. John Lithgow is offering up some fierce competition in THE COLUMNIST, though. The acting races are tight, for sure, in both plays and musicals, with more newcomers and first-time nominees than any season this century.

The Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF) at Shepherd University has announced the 2012 five-play repertory for its 22nd season of producing and developing new American theater. The season will feature new plays from Johnna Adams, Bob Clyman, Neil LaBute, Evan M. Wiener, and Bess Wohl. The four-week festival, consisting of 94 performances and other programming, will be held July 6 - 29 in Shepherdstown, WV.

The Finborough Theatre presents the first UK production in nearly 40 years of Trevor Griffiths' All Good Men, last seen at the Young Vic in a production by the National Theatre in 1975, and opening at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of eight Sunday and Monday evening performances tonight, 29 April 2012.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Chocolate Factory Productions are have announced the transfer of Mike Leigh's Abigail's Party to Wyndham's Theatre from Tuesday, 15th May.

Profiles Theatre announces the American premiere of Neil LaBute's In a Forest, Dark and Deep, to open the company's newest theater space, The Main Stage, 4139 N. Broadway, next door to its current venue.

The Finborough Theatre presents the first UK production in nearly 40 years of Trevor Griffiths' All Good Men, last seen at the Young Vic in a production by the National Theatre in 1975, and opening at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of eight Sunday and Monday evening performances on Sunday, 29 April 2012.

Capital Stage announces a change to its 2011-12 schedule. How I Learned to Drive, originally scheduled for a July/August run will open at the midtown theatre on May 19. The Sacramento premiere of Christopher Shinn's Dying City will move to the summer production dates, July 18 - August 12, 2012. 'We're changing the performance schedule of the these two productions to accommodate a scheduling conflict with one of our key artists,' explains Producing Director, Jonathan Williams.

Artistic Directors Joe Jahraus and Darrell W. Cox have announced Profiles Theatre's 2012 - 2013 Season. They also announced that acclaimed playwright Neil LaBute and Steppenwolf ensemble member Rick Snyder joined Profiles as Resident Artists. Five productions are planned for the upcoming 24th season, including the Midwest premieres of the award-winning Blood from a Stone in a newly revised version by playwright Tommy Nohilly, After by Chad Beckim, The Dream of the Burning Boy by David West Read and the Midwest premiere of Neil LaBute's controversial 2010 play The Break of Noon revised exclusively for Profiles Theatre. Additionally, one of Chicago theatre's longest running hits, Hellcab by Will Kern, returns for its 20th Anniversary production. These five productions alternate between Profiles' two venues, The Main Stage at 4139 N. Broadway and The Alley Stage at 4147 N. Broadway.

Investigation Discovery enters the 2012-13 upfront season with another record year of success, maintaining its title as the fastest-growing network in television1 and capitalizing on that momentum with the largest slate of original programming in network history.

Reasons to be Pretty by Neil LaBute concludes Philadelphia theatre Company's 2011-2012 season on May 25-June 24 at PTC's home at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Broad and Lombard Streets). Directed byMaria Mileaf, the ensemble cast features Paul Felder, James McMenamin, Genevieve Perrier, and Elizabeth Stanley.

New Edgecliff Theatre closes its 2011-2012 season with a return to the work of Neil LaBute. "reasons to be pretty" is one of the "Beauty Trilogy" of plays he wrote over a ten year period concerning our culture's fixation with vanity and physical attractiveness - the other two being "The Shape of Things" and "Fat Pig" (NET produced "Fat Pig" in 2007).

MCC THEATER (Robert LuPone, Bernard Telsey and William Cantler, Artistic Directors; Blake West, Executive Director) will tonight present the company's highly anticipated annual gala. Complimenting the glittering, previously announced Miscast will be Josh Gad ("Modern Family," The Book of Mormon), Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Jan Maxwell (Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon), Constantine Maroulis ("American Idol," Rock of Ages), and Nicole Parker ("Mad TV," a Miscast favorite returning for her 4th time). The event will be held Monday, March 26, 2012 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street).

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, through March 25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

TheaterWorks will present The Sty of the Blind Pig by Philip Hayes Dean.

TheaterWorks will present a summer-time World Premiere based on the unforgettable and deliciously entertaining memoir, I loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti by Guilia Melucci, adapted for the stage by Jacques Lamarre. TheaterWorks' Interim Artistic Director, Rob Ruggiero directs yet another new work for Hartford audiences in this heartwarming and comedic cook-in, which answers the question, "Is the cure for a broken heart … pasta?" I loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti runs June I through July 8, 2012 and is the 4th play of TheaterWorks' 2011-2012 Season (replacing Time Stands Still by David Margulies).

The 2012 Actors Studio Drama School Repertory Season performances will take place at The Theater at Dance New Amsterdam, 53 Chambers St., just north of City Hall, Wednesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 3 and 8 p.m. from March 28 through April 28. The full schedule and information about plays, actors, directors and playwrights can be found online at www.Pace.edu/ASDSRep

Michael Attenborough will direct Eduardo de Filippo's Filumena in a new English version by Tanya Ronder running at the Almeida from 15 March - 12 May 2012, with press night on 22 March at 7pm. Designs are by Robert Jones, with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by John Leonard. Filumena is sponsored by Pinsent Masons.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, March 13-25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

MCC THEATER has announced fabulous additions to their all-star line-up for the company's highly anticipated annual gala. Complimenting the glittering, previously announced Miscast will be Josh Gad ("Modern Family," The Book of Mormon), Norm Lewis (The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), Jan Maxwell (Follies, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Rory O'Malley (The Book of Mormon) and Nicole Parker ("Mad TV," a Miscast favorite returning for her 4th time). The event will be held Monday, March 26, 2012 at The Hammerstein Ballroom (311 West 34th Street).

After disbanding in the late 1980s, the various members of the Del Fuegos moved on. In the New Year, however, all four original members of the Boston quartet will come together for a 12-city tour, closing with a performance at Concord's Capitol Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 4, 7:30pm.

Michael Attenborough directs Eduardo De Filippo's Filumena in a new English version by Tanya Ronder running at the Almeida from 15 March - 12 May 2012, with press night on 22 March at 7pm. Designs are by Robert Jones, with lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by John Leonard. Filumena is sponsored by Pinsent Masons.

MEMPHIS, the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Musical will be presented by the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts for two weeks, March 13-25, as part of the Ordway's 2011-2012 Theater Season.

After disbanding in the late 1980s, the various members of the Del Fuegos moved on. In the New Year, however, all four original members of the Boston quartet will come together for a 12-city tour, closing with a performance at Concord's Capitol Center for the Arts on Sunday, March 4, 7:30pm.