Somewhere Fun - 2013 - Off-Broadway Articles Page 19

The Public Theater's $40 million revitalization of its downtown home at Astor Place will be unveiled October 4, 2012 and celebrated through a series of events designed to engage the entire New York community and marking a rededication to its founding principles. The eight weeks of community events will be anchored by a free block party and open house on Saturday, October 13, 12pm-5pm, during which Lafayette Street between Astor Place and East 4th Street will be partially closed to traffic and The Public's historic building will be open to all. A physical expression of the Company's core mission of sparking dialogues, fostering artistic development and experimentation, and increasing public accessibility, the revitalization project opens up the landmark building to the street and community, and transforms the lobby into a public piazza for artists, students, and audiences.

Vineyard Theatre will celebrate its 30th anniversary season with a host of special events, in addition to its mainstage productions. These events include developmental readings and workshops, and one-night-only readings of acclaimed productions from the company's history.

Broadway In Chicago has announced the upcoming 2013 spring season line-up.

Vineyard Theatre will open its 30th Anniversary season with the world premiere production of Douglas McGrath's play CHECKERS. Preview performances begin on October 12th, and opening night is set for October 28th. The production will be directed by Terry Kinney, it has been announced by The Vineyard's Artistic Director Douglas Aibel and Co-Artistic Director Sarah Stern.

The Ruckus Theater has announced its fourth season in Chicago, following a successful year of performances at The Side Project Theatre in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker and Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis released today a season of four new plays, and workshops, including two productions penned by Chicago playwright Scott T. Barsotti.

Roundabout Theatre Company announced the full cast this July for the new Broadway production of Rupert Holmes' Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The show is set to open on November 13, 2012 and will star Stephanie J. Block as Edwin Drood. Meet the whole cast in the video and bios below!

The Ruckus Theater has announced its fourth season in Chicago, following a successful year of performances at The Side Project Theatre in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. Artistic Director Allison Shoemaker and Associate Artistic Director Joshua Davis released today a season of four new plays, and workshops, including two productions penned by Chicago playwright Scott T. Barsotti.

Main Street Theatre has been a staple in the Houston theatre scene since Rebecca Udden found the company in the 1970s. Over time, the company has continued to evolve and grow. It seems that Houston audiences may not be fully aware of just how dynamic this stellar theatre company is. To help set the record straight, Rebecca Udden, Founding and Executive Artistic Director, and Vivienne St. John, Theater For Youth Producing Director, spoke with me about this fantastic and multifaceted theatrical company.

The Little Orchestra Society (The LOS) inaugurates the 2012-2013 season with an audience favorite from its acclaimed Lolli-Pops™ series, The Orchestra - A Happy Family. Performances will take place on Saturday October 27 at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., and Sunday, October 28 at 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., at The Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College (68th St. between Park and Lexington Aves.). The musicians of The LOS, led by guest conductor Philip Mann and joined by the colorful Lolli-Pops™ characters, introduce their musical families to yours, where the drums Bang, the strings Bow, the brass Buzz and the winds Toot.

The creators and cast of the musical NOW. HERE. THIS. and Vineyard Theatre, where the musical debuted Off-Broadway in March, have launched a campaign on Kickstarter.com to raise funds for an original cast recording of the album, it has been announced. The fundraising goal is $75,000 by August 30, 2012 and a mere three days after the effort was begun on Friday, August 3, the campaign has already met 50 percent of its goal.

Welcome to the fifth installment of Music City Confidential, my column to collect the flotsam and jetsam, informationally speaking, of theatre in Tennessee. Sorry for the long delay since the last installment, but I've been theatering my butt off all over the Volunteer State in search of intriguing gossip and riveting news stories just for you, my gentle readers.

The award-winning Vineyard Theatre will celebrate its 30th anniversary season after its enormously successful 2011-12 season - which included the acclaimed debuts of THE LYONS, OUTSIDE PEOPLE, NOW. HERE. THIS. and the developmental lab of THE LANDING - with new works by Douglas McGrath, Rajiv Joseph and Jenny Schwartz, to be produced during 2012-13, it was announced by Douglas Aibel, Artistic Director, and Sarah Stern, Co-Artistic Director.

Easton's State Theatre has announced its 2012-13 season- on sale to State Theatre Members Wed, August 1 (Box Office window at 453 Northampton Street opens at 6 AM; Online Ticketing and Phone lines open at Noon). Tickets will go on sale to the Public August 15th at 10 AM. Limit 6 tickets per Member per performance during Members Only sales. Membership to the Non-Profit State Theatre starts at $75, lasts one year and is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

The REP, Point Park University's professional theatre company, will produce four works, including one world premiere and one Pittsburgh premiere, in the 2012 - 2013 season, which opens Sept. 7, 2012 and runs through April 6, 2013 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.

Disney's THE LION KING will make its South American premiere in São Paulo, Brazil. T4F (Time For Fun), will present the production with its opening night on March 7th, 2013 at the Teatro Abril. THE LION KING in São Paulo will mark two firsts: as the largest stage musical ever presented in Brazil and the first time the show has been performed in Portuguese. The Disney and Cameron Mackintosh musical, MARY POPPINS will be produced in Mexico City by OCESA. The production will be performed for the first time in Spanish and will begin performances on November 14th, 2012 at the Telmex Cultural Center, in Mexico City.

Discover your Broadway with The Artist Series' 2012 - 2013 Broadway in Jacksonville Season, which features three Jacksonville premieres - MARY POPPINS, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, and ROCK OF AGES - and the return engagement of acclaimed musical, WEST SIDE STORY.

The latest in unauthorized gossip and buzz from the heart of Chicago's showtune video bars, and musical theater news from Chicago to Broadway. 'Bring It On,' season announcements from Broadway In Chicago, Porchlight and Paramount, Idina and Kristin tour dates, Andrew Lloyd Webber in movie theaters and more....

Joe's Pub has announced the following upcoming events.

Today we are talking to a singular literary talent who has written for Broadway, Hollywood, television and film, but, besides her Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway debut, ‘NIGHT MOTHER, which opened on Broadway in 1982, she is perhaps best known as the Tony-winning book-writer for two particularly beloved musicals of the last few decades: THE SECRET GARDEN and THE COLOR PURPLE. Generously covering her varied career writing for stage and screen, Ms. Norman and I discuss her process, her passions, her many projects old and new, and, most importantly, the two premieres she has looming large on the horizon in the next year, both coming after her highly successful collaboration with Jason Robert Brown on THE TRUMPET OF THE SWAN symphonic suite (available now on PS Classics) and the recent world premiere of her new play, THE MASTER BUTCHERS SINGING CLUB, at the Guthrie Theater: in addition to writing the book for Jason Robert Brown's musical adaptation of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, we also discuss her newest project for Theater For Humans which is focused on international women's and children's issues and the manner in which she will tackle the hot button topics of human trafficking and enslavement in it. Additionally, we touch on the bumpy Broadway road of THE RED SHOES and working with Jule Styne, NY versus LA, musicals versus plays, GLEE, WEST SIDE STORY at the Hollywood Bowl, playwrighting pal Teresa Rebeck, as well as much, much more!

We talk to David Grindrod, the West End casting director and leading light in the new Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, funding training in the performing arts

Planet Connections Theatre Festivity, a new eco-friendly festival designed to promote social and cultural awareness in the theatrical community, launches with 35 premieres in June 2009. Co-Executive Directors, Glory Bowen and Frank Calo, are excited by the prospects of premiering new shows which foster social change, benefiting at least 26 various not-for-profit organizations, while connecting artists with new audiences in a fun theatrical environment.