Present Laughter Photos - Broadway

As I sat shaking my head in disbelief of what I was seeing and hearing on the Blank Canvas Theatre stage, those around me were howling with uncontrollable laughter. What I was seeing was ridiculous, unbelievable, and basically poorly performed. I'm not sure what was making my audience-mates laugh so hard, but I heard one of the young ladies behind me confide that she had just wet her pants and then I got sprayed by a shower of beer that came forth from her companion's nose as he exploded in laughter.

Just last night, he New Group just honored Founding Artistic Director Scott Elliott and celebrated its 20th Anniversary season. Scott Elliott is an award-winning stage director, filmmaker and the founding Artistic Director of The New Group, where he recently directed the critically acclaimed revival of David Rabe's Sticks and Bones. At The New Group, he has directed world premieres by Thomas Bradshaw, Ayub Khan Din, Francine Volpe, Erika Sheffer and Tommy Nohilly; and the world premiere of the 2010 musical The Kid (Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical; Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel Award nominations for Outstanding Musical). Other credits include The New Group's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie starring Cynthia Nixon; David Rabe's Hurlyburly; and numerous collaborations with Ayub Khan Din, Wallace Shawn and Mike Leigh. Broadway credits include Present Laughter, Barefoot in the Park, The Threepenny Opera, The Women and Three Sisters. This spring at The New Group, he directs the world premiere of The Spoils, written by and featuring Jesse Eisenberg. BroadwayWorld brings you photos from inside the gala below!

The International Myeloa Foundation's 8th Annual Comedy Celebration presented the smash hit stage show Celebrity Autobiography November 8 at The Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Created and developed by Emmy award nominated writer-performer Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel, Celebrity Autobiography features outrageous celebrity memoirs acted out hilariously on stage by an all-star cast. Check out photos from the evening below!

Westport Country Playhouse stages the National Book Award-winning memoir, "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion, now through June 30, featuring noted actress Maureen Anderman as Didion. Directed by Nicholas Martin, the play is based on the author's actual experience rebuilding her life during the year after her spouse's death and her capacity to emerge strengthened from even the most shattering of life's trials. See below for Anderman playing Didion on stage!

The Playwrights Horizons (Tim Sanford, Artistic Director; Leslie Marcus, Managing Director) World Premiere production of GO BACK TO WHERE YOU ARE, a new play by five-time Obie Award winner David Greenspan (author/performer of She Stoops to Comedy, performer in The Wax and director of Kate's Diary, all at PH; Coraline; Some Men; The Argument; The Myopia; The Boys in the Band) is set to open Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 PM at Playwrights Horizons' Peter Jay Sharp Theater (416 West 42nd Street).

2010 was quite a year for Broadway with some spectacular opening nights. We'll be sharing highlights from the year in photos, videos, interviews and more throughout this final week of the year. First off is a look at some of the star and excitement filled opening night curtain calls of 2010. Photos by Walter McBride / WM Photos / Corbis

The Broadway company for Kneehigh Theatre's production of Noël Coward's Brief Encounter, adapted and directed by Emma Rice met the press this week and BroadwayWorld.com was there!

The Drama League (Jano Herbosch, President; Gabriel Shanks, Executive Director), announced the nominations for the 2009-10 Drama League Awards today at Sardi's with the help of Broadway stars Kelsey Grammer (La Cage Aux Folles) and Bebe Neuwirth (The Addams Family). The 76th Annual Drama League Awards Ceremony and Luncheon will take place on Friday, May 21, 2010 at 12:00pm at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square. The event will be co-hosted by Vanessa Williams (Sondheim on Sondheim) and Michael Urie (The Temperamentals).

Atlantic Theater Company (Neil Pepe, Artistic Director; Jeffory Lawson, Managing Director) is proud to announce casting, dates and a director for the American premiere of Olivier Award nominee Moira Buffini's award-winning play GABRIEL, which will mark the final main stage production of Atlantic's 2009-2010 season.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents Victor Garber in Noël Coward's Present Laughter, directed by Nicholas Martin.

Previews began January 2, 2010 with an Opening Night, January 21, 2010 and BroadwayWorld.com was there to capture opening night!

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents Victor Garber in Noël Coward's Present Laughter, directed by Nicholas Martin.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) presents Victor Garber in Noël Coward's Present Laughter, directed by Nicholas Martin. Previews began January 2, 2010 with an Opening Night set for January 21, 2010. The production will be a limited engagement.

Last week, the starry cast of The Roudabout Theater Company's Present Laughter met the press for their first photo opp. On hand were Victor Garber ('Eli Stone'), Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Brooks Ashmanskas (The Ritz), Lisa Banes, Nancy E. Carroll, Alice Duffy, Holley Fain, Pamela Jane Gray, James Joseph O'Neil, Richard Poe, Marc Vietor and Director Nicholas Martin (Butley). Preview performances for the production begin January 2nd, 2010 and open officially on January 21st, 2010 at the American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. This is a limited engagement through March 21, 2010.

Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes, Artistic Director) will present the New York premiere of the new musical The Tin Pan Alley Rag, written by Mark Saltzman, with Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin & Scott Joplin, directed by Stafford Arima.