The Taming of the Shrew - 2019 - West End Articles Page 18

Need a good laugh? The Chatham Community Players may have the cure with Rick Abbott's hilarious play within a play, Play On! Directed by John A.C. Kennedy, it's an uproarious behind-the scenes comedy in the tradition of Noises Off.

Jonathan Church, Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bath's Summer Season, today announces the opening shows for its 2019 programme which will see much-loved British comedian Jennifer Saunders star as Madame Arcati in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit directed by Richard Eyre, and Rupert Everett making his directorial stage debut in Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya in which he will also play the title role in a new version by David Hare. Blithe Spirit will run from 13 June to 6 July with opening night for press on 19 June, followed by Uncle Vanya from 18 July to 3 August with opening night for press on 24 July, both in the Main House. Further casting and the full summer programme will be announced in due course.

Shakespeare & Company's Northeast Regional Tour of Shakespeare is now on the road, performing for schools and community centers throughout the Northeast. This year, the Company's Tour brings two Shakespeare productions, Hamlet and The Taming of the Shrew, to over 20,000 students. The Tour visits 75 schools throughout the Northeast in ten different states including; Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

Gwendoline Christie, Oliver Chris, David Moorst and Hammed Animashaun lead the cast as Titania, Oberon, Puck and Bottom in Nicholas Hytner's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream which has its first performance in the Bridge Theatre's immersive format this summer on 3 June.

Nobel and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison's first novel comes to life at the Wells Theatre. The Bluest Eye, directed by Khanisha Foster, follows the story of young Pecola in 1940's Ohio who is pregnant at her father's hands. She is taken in by a loving family and cared for by brilliant and kind sisters, Frieda and Claudia. The character-driven play, both poetic and daringly funny, illuminates the destructive powers of racism and class dynamics while exploring the power of community through exquisite storytelling. The Bluest Eye is produced in collaboration with Norfolk State University Theatre Company.

New York Shakespeare Exchange (NYSX) announces the next ShakesBEER, NYC's original Shakespearean Pub Crawl, running Saturdays from March 2 - 9, 2019 at 3pm. The pub crawl begins at The Dubliner (45 Stone Street, NYC) at 2:30pm and moves to Route66 Smokehouse (46 Stone Street, NYC), The Irish Punt (40 Exchange Place, NYC), and The Full Shilling (160 Pearl Street, NYC). Check-in is at 2:30pm at The Dubliner.

Agatha Christie, the 'Queen of Crime,' was a British writer of murder mysteries, noted for creating plays, books and short stories. They not only contained intriguing plot twists, which centered on scandalous murders, elaborate twists and turns, but revealed basic 'truths' that are not what they seem.

The Old Globe today announced the cast and creative team for the American premiere of Life After, a rapturously beautiful and stirring new musical with book, music, and lyrics by Britta Johnson. The Globe's own Barry Edelstein directs, with choreography by Ann Yee. Life After will run March 22 - April 28, 2019 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Old Globe Theatre, part of the Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 22-28.

Theatre for a New Audience announces the seventeen-member cast and the creative team for its production of William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, directed by Shana Cooper in her Off-Broadway debut.

Greater Boston Stage Company proudly announces the U.S. Premiere of Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hill's, Onegin. Based on Pushkin's masterpiece novel in verse and Tchaikovsky's stunning opera, Onegin tells the love story of the innocent Tatyana and the self-obsessed aristocrat Onegin. This soaring musical adaptation begs you to answer the question, "Look around, look around, look around, Do you see someone worth dying for?" Directed by Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes, performances run March 14 - 31, 2019. The Press Opening is Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 3:00pm.

Crafting a musical theater hit is a lot like alchemy - the ancient study focused primarily on creating gold from baser elements - and oftentimes no matter the ingredients, directors never quite achieve the outcome for which they strive. But in the case of director/choreographer Everett Tarlton's production of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate (now onstage at Chaffin's Barn Dinner Theatre through March 7), he has crafted something so special that it essentially defines the theatrical gold standard.

Love is in the air this Valentine's Day, and Skylight Music Theatre is celebrating by announcing the leads for Kiss Me, Kate, running May 17 June 9, 2019. The cast will be led by R na Roman playing Kate/Lilli Vanessi and Andrew Varela as Petruchio/Fred Graham. Kiss Me, Kate sizzles with onstage romance and backstage passion. It won the very first Tony Award for Best Musical and features such unforgettable songs as So in Love, Another Op'nin', Another Show, Why Can't You Behave? and Too Darn Hot. Blending the irreverent humor of William Shakespeare and Cole Porter, this brilliant battle of the sexes follows a tempestuous couple as they struggle to present a musical version of Taming of the Shrew. Roman was last seen at Skylight as Yum-Yum in Hot Mikado and Nina in In The Heights. Varela was most recently seen at Skylight as Sweeney in Sweeney Todd and Daddy Warbucks in Annie.

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company (CSC) has added three performances to its highly anticipated upcoming production of Birdy, adapted by Naomi Wallace from the novel by William Wharton, and directed by Steven Maler. The production now runs February 27 through March 17 at the Carling-Sorenson Theater at Babson College in Wellesley.

Roundabout Theatre Company's new Broadway production of the musical comedy Kiss Me, Kate, starring Tony Award winner Kelli O'Hara, begins preview performances today. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

Artistic Director Tom Littler has announced casting for the world premiere of Mary's Babies. Two of Britain's best-known classical actors, Emma Fielding and Katy Stephens, will co-star in Maud Dromgoole's funny and compelling play about family and fertility.

Random Access Theatre opens its 2019 season with the World Premiere of Miranda from Stormville by Adam Bertocci. The production, a modern retelling of Shakespeare's The Tempest, runs March 14 - 24 at the IRT Theater in the West Village. Artistic Director and co-founder, Jennifer Sandella directs. Bertocci's previous productions include the highly acclaimed, Two Gentlemen of Lebowski (published by Simon & Schuster). Miranda from Stormville is part of IRT's 3B Development Series.

After his hit production of King Charles III, David Muse returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company to direct Shakespeare's Richard the Third, a mesmerizing chronicle of the megalomaniac's rampage to the throne. The production will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from February 5-March 10, 2019.

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announces the full company for Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author Ayad Akhtar's (Arena's Disgraced) timely tale Junk. Inspired by the real junk bond giants of the 1980s, Akhtar explores how the riveting, hostile takeover of a family-owned manufacturing company paved the way to expose the rise of greed, power, race and wealth that led to reshaping the rules of Wall Street and the world. Directed by Jackie Maxwell, Junk runs April 5 - May 5, 2019 in the Fichandler Stage.

Thursday Night Theater Club announce their cast of fourteen for The Elephant Man by playwright Bernard Pomerance.  Robyn Cohen is delighted to be at the helm with such a notable group of actors.   The production opens at El Portal Theatre. Tickets are available at:  www.ElPortalTheatre.com. The show will open March 21 - 23 and April 3 - 14, 2019.

After his hit production of King Charles III, David Muse returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company to direct Shakespeare's Richard the Third, a mesmerizing chronicle of the megalomaniac's rampage to the throne. The production will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from February 5-March 10, 2019.

Brendan O'Hea returns to direct Globe on Tour, where a company of eight actors will once again offer audiences around the world a trio of plays which this year explore the themes of refuge and displacement. Continuing last summer's experiment, which revived the Shakespearean tradition of allowing audiences to vote for the play they'd like to see, this year's audiences will cast their votes for The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night or Pericles, all stories of lost families, new homes, and what it means to belong. The tour will return to the Globe stage for Refugee Week (17 - 23 June) as part of a wider programme of events in which refugee artists, performers and audiences will all share their stories.

For the first time the Royal Shakespeare Company will tour three productions in repertoire to six regional theatres, playing for two weeks in each venue. As You Like It, The Taming of the Shrew and Measure for Measure will visit Salford in September 2019, and then Canterbury, Plymouth, Nottingham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Blackpool in early 2020. Performance dates at the end of the release.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards announced its nominees for 2018 today. These annual awards are regarded amongst the most valued and prestigious in the South African performing arts industry. This year's ceremony will take place on Sunday, 10 March at 17:30 at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town and promises to be an evening celebrating Vintage theatre and wines.

The Fleur du Cap Theatre Awards announced its nominees for 2018 today. These annual awards are regarded amongst the most valued and prestigious in the South African performing arts industry. This year's ceremony will take place on Sunday, 10 March at 17:30 at the Artscape Opera House in Cape Town and promises to be an evening celebrating Vintage theatre and wines.

After his hit production of King Charles III, David Muse returns to Shakespeare Theatre Company to direct Shakespeare's Richard the Third, a mesmerizing chronicle of the megalomaniac's rampage to the throne. The production will play at Sidney Harman Hall (610 F Street NW) from February 5-March 10, 2019.